×

We gebruiken cookies om LingQ beter te maken. Als u de website bezoekt, gaat u akkoord met onze cookiebeleid.

image

Oxford Online English, English Contractions - Improve Your Pronunciation of Contractions in English

English Contractions - Improve Your Pronunciation of Contractions in English

Hi, I'm Maria. Welcome to Oxford Online English! In this lesson, you can learn about

the pronunciation of contractions. You'll see how to make contractions, how to pronounce

them, and when to use contractions in English.

What are contractions?

Contractions are when we put two words together by making one word shorter.

For example:

He is --> He's They will --> They'll

Do not --> Don't

But which words can you make contractions from?

Here are the words that can make contractions in English:

am, are,

is, will,

would, have,

has, had.

Let's see an example in a sentence:

You are the nicest person I have ever met.

We can make two contractions here. Can you see where?

You can contract you are to you're, and I have to I've.

You're the nicest person I've ever met. The pronunciation of contractions can change depending

on how fast you're speaking. The pronunciation can be quite clear and ‘textbook':

You're the nicest person I've met.

Or, the pronunciation can be faster and weaker:

You're the nicest person I've met.

This fast, weak pronunciation is very common.

Let's do another example:

They will think he has gone completely mad!

Can you see where we can make contractions? Here's the answer:

They'll think he's gone completely mad! Many English learners find contractions with

will difficult to pronounce.

Let's practice quickly: say they'll.

As you pronounce the vowel, /eɪ/, slide your tongue forward to add the /l/ sound.

They'll They'll Now, try the full sentence:

They'll think he's gone completely mad! Let's try one more time: they'll think he's

gone completely mad! Again, this time at natural speed: they'll think he's gone completely

mad! Let's do one more example:

I am sure she would call if anything had happened.

Here, you can make three contractions. Can you see them?

We can make contractions with am, would and had:

I'm sure she'd call if anything'd happened. Try saying the sentence. Let's do it together,

slowly: I'm sure she'd call if anything'd happened. Let's try it once more, at natural

speed: I'm sure she'd call if anything'd happened. Do you notice anything here? There

are two things which we need to pay attention to.

Firstly, different words (had and would), can have the same contraction: ‘d.

Secondly, the pronunciation of the ‘d contraction is different in she'd and anything'd.

Do you know why?

Let's find out!

Most contractions have two different pronunciations.

The only contractions which never change are will and am. Contractions of will are always

pronounced ‘ll. Am is always ‘m.

Contractions of are, is, would, have, has and had can have different pronunciations.

Why does the pronunciation change? It mostly depends on the sound before the contraction.

Sometimes, it depends on the sound after the contraction.

For would, have, and had, it depends whether the sound before the contraction is a vowel

or a consonant.

The contraction of have is pronounced /v/ after a vowel sound:

I've, we've,

they've.

After a consonant, the contraction of have is pronounced /əv/:

could've, would've,

might've.

The same rule is true for would and had. The contraction is pronounced /d/ after a vowel,

and /əd/ after a consonant:

I'd, she'd,

But:

it'd, Tom'd.

There's one exception to this: if someone's name ends with a vowel sound, we usually treat

it like a consonant for contractions. So, if you want to say:

Sophie'd help you if you asked her. Even though Sophie ends with a vowel sound,

we generally pronounce the contraction as /əd/, because it's a name.

Notice how I said ‘usually' and ‘generally'? It's because this isn't exactly a rule.

It's more common, and I advise you to follow it, but not all native speakers speak this

way all the time.

Next, let's look at is and has.

The contraction of is and has is pronounced /z/ after most sounds:

he's, there's,

Dave's.

However, after /t/, /p/, /k/, /f/ or /θ/, the contraction of is or has is pronounced

/s/.

it's, Seth's,

top's.

We don't contract is or has after the sounds /tʃ/, /ʃ/, /dʒ/, /ʒ/, /s/ or /z/, because

the contraction would be impossible to pronounce clearly.

That leaves are. Are is a bit different, because the pronunciation depends on the sound after,

not before. Look at an example:

We're a good team. We're the best team.

Before a vowel sound, the contraction of are has a /r/ sound. Before a consonant sound,

the contraction is pronounced as a schwa sound: /ə/.

Now, you've seen common contractions and how to pronounce them.

Next, let's look at the pronunciation of negative contractions.

If you have an auxiliary verb plus not, you can put the words together and contract not

to n't.

For example:

do not --> don't is not --> isn't

have not --> haven't would not --> wouldn't

This isn't a full list.

There's one which is a bit strange: will not contracts to won't.

Also, you can't make a negative contraction with am not. You can't say amn't. Why

not? I can't even say amn't. Saying amn't is really difficult. That's why.

Let's try a few examples. Look at this sentence. Where can you make contractions?

He does not understand why they did not help him.

We can contract this to:

He doesn't understand why they didn't help him.

Let's practice together. Say the sentence after me, slowly: He doesn't understand

why they didn't help him. Now, let's try again, at natural speed: He doesn't understand

why they didn't help him. Let's do another:

They are not happy that the company has not told them anything.

There are two contractions here. Can you see them?

They aren't happy that the company hasn't told them anything. Repeat the sentence after

me: They aren't happy that the company hasn't told them anything. Try once more: They aren't

happy that the company hasn't told them anything.

We'll do one more example:

You should not have said yes if you could not do it.

Where are the possible contractions here?

You shouldn't have said yes if you couldn't do it.

Repeat the sentence after me: You shouldn't have said yes if you couldn't do it.

Try once more: You shouldn't have said yes if you couldn't do it. Sometimes with negative

contractions, there are two possible contractions. For example:

They are not here yet.

You could contract this to:

They aren't here yet.

Or:

They're not here yet.

In most places, the first option is more common. That means you contract not.

However, both are correct, and it doesn't matter which one you use.

So now you know how to form and pronounce common contractions, but when should you use them?

Generally, you should use contractions when

you speak. Using contractions sounds more natural in spoken English.

Look at an example from earlier:

He does not understand why they did not help him.

If you're speaking to someone, and you say this sentence without the contractions, it

sounds a bit robotic and unnatural. Try it—say the sentence out loud with no contractions.

Doesn't it sound a bit strange? Pronouncing the contractions makes it sound

much more natural:

He doesn't understand why they didn't help him.

So, are there any cases where you shouldn't use contractions?

If you're speaking more formally, you might use fewer contractions.

If you want to emphasise something, you shouldn't use contractions. For example:

That is not what I said. He is the best player.

I have called several times.

You need to use the full, uncontracted form if you need to emphasise the verb or negative.

There's one more case where you can't use contractions: don't use positive contractions

at the end of a sentence or clause.

For example, if someone asks you:

Is he ready?

You should answer:

Yes, he is.

And not:

Yes, he's.

However, negative contractions can go at the end of a sentence or clause, so it's fine

to say:

No, he isn't.

What about written English?

You can use contractions in informal writing; you probably shouldn't use contractions

in formal writing, like an essay.

Also, many contractions are used in speech but not generally in writing. For example,

you can say:

These're the chocolates that your friends've sent us.

This'd be a good time to think about it.

Contractions like these're, friends've and this'd aren't often used in written

English, even in very informal writing.

If you're not sure if you can use a contraction or not when you're writing, then just use

the full form.

There are some more contractions like this, which are common in spoken language, but which

aren't written down.

Let's take a look:

Here's a sentence:

They would have enjoyed it, but they would not have stayed long.

What contractions can you make here?

Well, would contracts to ‘d, and have contracts to ‘ve. What does that give us? In the first

part, you should say:

They'd've enjoyed it… Listen once more: They'd've enjoyed it...

Try one more time, a little faster: They'd've

enjoyed it… What about the second part of the sentence?

Not contracts to n't. Have contracts to ‘ve. So, you say:

…but they wouldn't've stayed long. Try saying the whole sentence with the contractions:

They'd've enjoyed it, but they wouldn't've stayed long. Try once more, at natural speed:

They'd've enjoyed it, but they wouldn't've stayed long. Do these contractions look weird?

If so, it's because we almost never write them.

What other contractions are like this?

You can contract did to ‘d in speaking, but not in writing:

Why did you tell her? --> Why'd you tell her?

When did you get here? --> When'd you get here?

How did you like it? --> How'd you like it?

You can contract will have to ‘ll've and would have to ‘d've:

They will have left by now. --> They'll've left by now.

We would have been late anyway. --> We'd've been late anyway.

You can contract not have after a modal verb to n't've:

They could not have helped. --> They couldn't've helped.

I would not have said anything. --> I wouldn't've said anything.

Remember: use these contractions when you speak, but not in writing!

You can find more free English lessons on our site: Oxford Online English dot com.

Thanks for watching!

See you next time!

Learn languages from TV shows, movies, news, articles and more! Try LingQ for FREE

English Contractions - Improve Your Pronunciation of Contractions in English |Сокращения в английском||||||| |缩写||||||| Englische Kontraktionen - Verbessern Sie Ihre Aussprache von Kontraktionen im Englischen Contracciones en inglés - Mejore su pronunciación de las contracciones en inglés Contractions en anglais - Améliorez votre prononciation des contractions en anglais Contrazioni in inglese - Migliorare la pronuncia delle contrazioni in inglese 英語の短縮形 - 英語の短縮形の発音を上達させよう Engelse samentrekkingen - Verbeter je uitspraak van samentrekkingen in het Engels Angielskie spójniki - popraw swoją wymowę spójników w języku angielskim Contracções em inglês - Melhore a sua pronúncia de Contracções em inglês Английские сокращения - Улучшение произношения сокращений в английском языке İngilizce Kısaltmalar - İngilizce Kısaltmaların Telaffuzunu Geliştirin Англійські скорочення – покращте вимову скорочень англійською мовою 英语缩略语 - 提高英语缩略语的发音 英语缩写 - 提高英语缩写的发音

Hi, I'm Maria. Welcome to Oxford Online English! In this lesson, you can learn about Hola, soy María. ¡Bienvenida a Oxford Online English! En esta lección, puedes aprender sobre

the pronunciation of contractions. You'll see how to make contractions, how to pronounce |||||||||скорочення||| la pronunciación de las contracciones. Verás cómo hacer contracciones, cómo pronunciar

them, and when to use contractions in English. y cuándo utilizar las contracciones en inglés.

What are contractions? ¿Qué son las contracciones?

Contractions are when we put two words together by making one word shorter. Las contracciones se producen cuando juntamos dos palabras acortando una de ellas.

For example: Por ejemplo:

He is --> He's They will --> They'll Él es --> Él es Ellos serán --> Ellos serán

Do not --> Don't No --> No

But which words can you make contractions from? Pero, ¿con qué palabras se pueden hacer contracciones?

Here are the words that can make contractions in English: Estas son las palabras que pueden hacer contracciones en inglés:

am, are, am, are,

is, will, es, voluntad,

would, have, tendría, tienen,

has, had. has, had.

Let's see an example in a sentence: Veamos un ejemplo en una frase:

You are the nicest person I have ever met. |||mais simpático||||| Eres la persona más agradable que he conocido.

We can make two contractions here. Can you see where? Aquí podemos hacer dos contracciones. ¿Puedes ver dónde?

You can contract you are to you're, and I have to I've. Puedes contraer you are a you're, y I have a I've.

You're the nicest person I've ever met. The pronunciation of contractions can change depending Eres la persona más agradable que he conocido. La pronunciación de las contracciones puede cambiar dependiendo

on how fast you're speaking. The pronunciation can be quite clear and ‘textbook': |||||||可以||||| según la velocidad a la que hables. La pronunciación puede ser bastante clara y "de manual":

You're the nicest person I've met. Eres la persona más agradable que he conocido.

Or, the pronunciation can be faster and weaker: O la pronunciación puede ser más rápida y débil:

You're the nicest person I've met. Eres la persona más agradable que he conocido.

This fast, weak pronunciation is very common. Esta pronunciación rápida y débil es muy común.

Let's do another example: Pongamos otro ejemplo:

They will think he has gone completely mad! |||他|||| Sie werden denken, er sei völlig verrückt geworden! Pensarán que se ha vuelto completamente loco.

Can you see where we can make contractions? Here's the answer: ¿Puedes ver dónde podemos hacer contracciones? Aquí tienes la respuesta:

They'll think he's gone completely mad! Many English learners find contractions with ¡Pensarán que se ha vuelto completamente loco! Muchos estudiantes de inglés encuentran contracciones con

will difficult to pronounce. será difícil de pronunciar.

Let's practice quickly: say they'll. Practiquemos rápidamente: digan they'll.

As you pronounce the vowel, /eɪ/, slide your tongue forward to add the /l/ sound. ||||||||língua|||||| Al pronunciar la vocal /eɪ/, desliza la lengua hacia delante para añadir el sonido /l/.

They'll They'll Now, try the full sentence: Ahora, prueba la frase completa:

They'll think he's gone completely mad! Let's try one more time: they'll think he's ¡Pensarán que se ha vuelto completamente loco! Intentémoslo una vez más: pensarán que está...

gone completely mad! Again, this time at natural speed: they'll think he's gone completely ¡se ha vuelto completamente loco! De nuevo, esta vez a velocidad natural: pensarán que se ha vuelto completamente

mad! Let's do one more example: ¡loco! Hagamos un ejemplo más:

I am sure she would call if anything had happened. Estoy segura de que llamaría si hubiera pasado algo.

Here, you can make three contractions. Can you see them? Aquí puedes hacer tres contracciones. ¿Puedes verlas?

We can make contractions with am, would and had: Podemos hacer contracciones con am, would y had:

I'm sure she'd call if anything'd happened. Try saying the sentence. Let's do it together, Seguro que llamaría si hubiera pasado algo. Intenta decir la frase. Hagámoslo juntos,

slowly: I'm sure she'd call if anything'd happened. Let's try it once more, at natural lentamente: Estoy seguro de que llamaría si algo hubiera pasado. Intentémoslo una vez más, al natural.

speed: I'm sure she'd call if anything'd happened. Do you notice anything here? There Estoy seguro de que llamaría si hubiera pasado algo. ¿Notas algo aquí? Hay

are two things which we need to pay attention to. hay dos cosas a las que debemos prestar atención.

Firstly, different words (had and would), can have the same contraction: ‘d. ||||||||||Verkürzung| En primer lugar, palabras diferentes (had y would), pueden tener la misma contracción: 'd.

Secondly, the pronunciation of the ‘d contraction is different in she'd and anything'd. En segundo lugar, la pronunciación de la contracción 'd es diferente en she'd y anything'd.

Do you know why? ¿Sabes por qué?

Let's find out! ¡Averigüémoslo!

Most contractions have two different pronunciations. La mayoría de las contracciones tienen dos pronunciaciones diferentes.

The only contractions which never change are will and am. Contractions of will are always Las únicas contracciones que nunca cambian son will y am. Las contracciones de voluntad son siempre

pronounced ‘ll. Am is always ‘m. se pronuncia 'll. Am es siempre 'm.

Contractions of are, is, would, have, has and had can have different pronunciations. Las contracciones de are, is, would, have, has y had pueden tener diferentes pronunciaciones.

Why does the pronunciation change? It mostly depends on the sound before the contraction. ¿Por qué cambia la pronunciación? Depende sobre todo del sonido que precede a la contracción.

Sometimes, it depends on the sound after the contraction. A veces, depende del sonido después de la contracción.

For would, have, and had, it depends whether the sound before the contraction is a vowel Para would, have y had, depende de si el sonido que precede a la contracción es una vocal

or a consonant. o una consonante.

The contraction of have is pronounced /v/ after a vowel sound: La contracción de have se pronuncia /v/ después de un sonido vocálico:

I've, we've, Yo, nosotros,

they've. lo han hecho.

After a consonant, the contraction of have is pronounced /əv/: Después de una consonante, la contracción de have se pronuncia /əv/:

could've, would've, podría haber, habría,

might've. podría haberlo hecho.

The same rule is true for would and had. The contraction is pronounced /d/ after a vowel, ||||||||||Kontraktion|||||| La misma regla se aplica a would y had. La contracción se pronuncia /d/ después de una vocal,

and /əd/ after a consonant: y /əd/ después de una consonante:

I'd, she'd, Yo, ella,

But: Pero..:

it'd, Tom'd. it'd, Tom'd.

There's one exception to this: if someone's name ends with a vowel sound, we usually treat Hay una excepción a esto: si el nombre de alguien termina con un sonido de vocal, normalmente tratamos

it like a consonant for contractions. So, if you want to say: como una consonante para las contracciones. Así que, si quieres decir:

Sophie'd help you if you asked her. Even though Sophie ends with a vowel sound, Sophie te ayudaría si se lo pidieras. Aunque Sophie termine con un sonido vocálico,

we generally pronounce the contraction as /əd/, because it's a name. generalmente pronunciamos la contracción como /əd/, porque es un nombre.

Notice how I said ‘usually' and ‘generally'? It's because this isn't exactly a rule. ¿Se ha dado cuenta de que he dicho "normalmente" y "generalmente"? Porque no se trata exactamente de una norma.

It's more common, and I advise you to follow it, but not all native speakers speak this Es ist häufiger, und ich rate Ihnen, ihm zu folgen, aber nicht alle Muttersprachler sprechen dies Es más común, y te aconsejo que lo sigas, pero no todos los hablantes nativos hablan así

way all the time. todo el tiempo.

Next, let's look at is and has. A continuación, veamos is y has.

The contraction of is and has is pronounced /z/ after most sounds: La contracción de is y has se pronuncia /z/ después de la mayoría de los sonidos:

he's, there's, él es, hay,

Dave's. Dave's.

However, after /t/, /p/, /k/, /f/ or /θ/, the contraction of is or has is pronounced Sin embargo, después de /t/, /p/, /k/, /f/ o /θ/, se pronuncia la contracción de is o has

/s/. /s/.

it's, Seth's, Es, Seth,

top's. de arriba.

We don't contract is or has after the sounds /tʃ/, /ʃ/, /dʒ/, /ʒ/, /s/ or /z/, because No contraemos is o has después de los sonidos /tʃ/, /ʃ/, /dʒ/, /ʒ/, /s/ o /z/, porque

the contraction would be impossible to pronounce clearly. la contracción sería imposible de pronunciar con claridad.

That leaves are. Are is a bit different, because the pronunciation depends on the sound after, |folhas|||||||||||||| Que deja are. Are es un poco diferente, porque la pronunciación depende del sonido posterior,

not before. Look at an example: no antes. Mira un ejemplo:

We're a good team. We're the best team. Somos un buen equipo. Somos el mejor equipo.

Before a vowel sound, the contraction of are has a /r/ sound. Before a consonant sound, ||||||||||are pronounced /r/||||| Antes de un sonido vocálico, la contracción de are tiene un sonido /r/. Antes de un sonido consonántico,

the contraction is pronounced as a schwa sound: /ə/. ||||||||a schwa sound la contracción se pronuncia como un sonido schwa: /ə/.

Now, you've seen common contractions and how to pronounce them. Ya has visto las contracciones más comunes y cómo pronunciarlas.

Next, let's look at the pronunciation of negative contractions. A continuación, veamos la pronunciación de las contracciones negativas.

If you have an auxiliary verb plus not, you can put the words together and contract not ||||助动词|||||||||||| Si tienes un verbo auxiliar más not, puedes juntar las palabras y contraer not

to n't. a n't.

For example: Por ejemplo:

do not --> don't is not --> isn't no --> no es no --> no es

have not --> haven't would not --> wouldn't no tienen --> no tienen no tendrían --> no tendrían

This isn't a full list. Esta no es una lista completa.

There's one which is a bit strange: will not contracts to won't. Hay una que es un poco extraña: will not contracts to won't.

Also, you can't make a negative contraction with am not. You can't say amn't. Why Además, no puedes hacer una contracción negativa con am not. No puedes decir amn't. ¿Por qué

not? I can't even say amn't. Saying amn't is really difficult. That's why. ¿No? Ni siquiera puedo decir amn't. Decir no es realmente difícil. Por eso mismo.

Let's try a few examples. Look at this sentence. Where can you make contractions? Probemos con algunos ejemplos. Fíjate en esta frase. ¿Dónde puedes hacer contracciones?

He does not understand why they did not help him. No entiende por qué no le ayudaron.

We can contract this to: Podemos contratarlo:

He doesn't understand why they didn't help him. No entiende por qué no le ayudaron.

Let's practice together. Say the sentence after me, slowly: He doesn't understand Practiquemos juntos. Di la frase después de mí, despacio: No entiende

why they didn't help him. Now, let's try again, at natural speed: He doesn't understand por qué no le ayudaron. Ahora, vamos a intentarlo de nuevo, a velocidad natural: Él no entiende

why they didn't help him. Let's do another: por qué no le ayudaron. Hagamos otra:

They are not happy that the company has not told them anything. No están contentos con que la empresa no les haya dicho nada.

There are two contractions here. Can you see them? Aquí hay dos contracciones. ¿Puedes verlas?

They aren't happy that the company hasn't told them anything. Repeat the sentence after No están contentos con que la empresa no les haya dicho nada. Repite la frase después de

me: They aren't happy that the company hasn't told them anything. Try once more: They aren't a mí: No están contentos de que la empresa no les haya dicho nada. Inténtalo una vez más: No están

happy that the company hasn't told them anything. contentos de que la empresa no les haya dicho nada.

We'll do one more example: Haremos un ejemplo más:

You should not have said yes if you could not do it. No deberías haber dicho que sí si no podías hacerlo.

Where are the possible contractions here? ¿Dónde están aquí las posibles contracciones?

You shouldn't have said yes if you couldn't do it. No deberías haber dicho que sí si no podías hacerlo.

Repeat the sentence after me: You shouldn't have said yes if you couldn't do it. Repite la frase después de mí: No deberías haber dicho que sí si no podías hacerlo.

Try once more: You shouldn't have said yes if you couldn't do it. Sometimes with negative Inténtalo una vez más: No deberías haber dicho que sí si no podías hacerlo. A veces con la negativa

contractions, there are two possible contractions. For example: contracciones, hay dos contracciones posibles. Por ejemplo:

They are not here yet. Aún no han llegado.

You could contract this to: Podrías contratarlo:

They aren't here yet. Aún no han llegado.

Or: O:

They're not here yet. Aún no han llegado.

In most places, the first option is more common. That means you contract not. En la mayoría de los lugares, la primera opción es más común. Eso significa que no se contrata.

However, both are correct, and it doesn't matter which one you use. Sin embargo, ambas son correctas, y no importa cuál utilice.

So now you know how to form and pronounce common contractions, but when should you use them? Ya sabes cómo se forman y pronuncian las contracciones más comunes, pero ¿cuándo debes utilizarlas?

Generally, you should use contractions when En general, debe utilizar contracciones cuando

you speak. Using contractions sounds more natural in spoken English. hablar. El uso de contracciones suena más natural en inglés hablado.

Look at an example from earlier: Mira un ejemplo de antes:

He does not understand why they did not help him. No entiende por qué no le ayudaron.

If you're speaking to someone, and you say this sentence without the contractions, it Si estás hablando con alguien, y dices esta frase sin las contracciones, es

sounds a bit robotic and unnatural. Try it—say the sentence out loud with no contractions. |||roboterm|||||||||||| |||robótico|||||||||||| suena un poco robótico y poco natural. Pruébalo: di la frase en voz alta sin contracciones.

Doesn't it sound a bit strange? Pronouncing the contractions makes it sound ¿No suena un poco raro? Pronunciar las contracciones hace que suene

much more natural: mucho más natural:

He doesn't understand why they didn't help him. No entiende por qué no le ayudaron.

So, are there any cases where you shouldn't use contractions? Entonces, ¿hay algún caso en el que no se deban utilizar contracciones?

If you're speaking more formally, you might use fewer contractions. Si hablas de manera más formal, puedes utilizar menos contracciones.

If you want to emphasise something, you shouldn't use contractions. For example: Si quieres enfatizar algo, no debes utilizar contracciones. Por ejemplo:

That is not what I said. He is the best player. Eso no es lo que he dicho. Es el mejor jugador.

I have called several times. He llamado varias veces.

You need to use the full, uncontracted form if you need to emphasise the verb or negative. ||||||unverkürzte|||||||||| ||||||you need to use the full, uncontracted form if you need to emphasise the verb or negative|||||||||| Debes utilizar la forma completa, sin contracción, si necesitas enfatizar el verbo o el negativo.

There's one more case where you can't use contractions: don't use positive contractions Hay un caso más en el que no puedes utilizar contracciones: no utilices contracciones positivas

at the end of a sentence or clause. al final de una frase o cláusula.

For example, if someone asks you: Por ejemplo, si alguien te pregunta

Is he ready? ¿Está preparado?

You should answer: Deberías contestar:

Yes, he is. Sí, lo es.

And not: Y no:

Yes, he's. Sí, lo es.

However, negative contractions can go at the end of a sentence or clause, so it's fine Sin embargo, las contracciones negativas pueden ir al final de una frase o cláusula, así que está bien

to say: que decir:

No, he isn't. No, no lo es.

What about written English? ¿Y el inglés escrito?

You can use contractions in informal writing; you probably shouldn't use contractions Puedes usar contracciones en la escritura informal; probablemente no deberías usar contracciones

in formal writing, like an essay. en la escritura formal, como un ensayo.

Also, many contractions are used in speech but not generally in writing. For example, Además, muchas contracciones se utilizan en el habla, pero no por lo general en la escritura. Por ejemplo,

you can say: puedes decir:

These're the chocolates that your friends've sent us. Estos son los bombones que nos han enviado tus amigos.

This'd be a good time to think about it. Este sería un buen momento para pensarlo.

Contractions like these're, friends've and this'd aren't often used in written Contracciones como these're, friends've y this'd no se utilizan a menudo por escrito.

English, even in very informal writing. inglés, incluso en escritos muy informales.

If you're not sure if you can use a contraction or not when you're writing, then just use Si no está seguro de si puede utilizar una contracción o no al escribir, utilice simplemente

the full form. la forma completa.

There are some more contractions like this, which are common in spoken language, but which Hay algunas contracciones más como ésta, que son comunes en el lenguaje hablado, pero que

aren't written down. no están escritas.

Let's take a look: Echemos un vistazo:

Here's a sentence: He aquí una frase:

They would have enjoyed it, but they would not have stayed long. Lo habrían disfrutado, pero no se habrían quedado mucho tiempo.

What contractions can you make here? ¿Qué contracciones puedes hacer aquí?

Well, would contracts to ‘d, and have contracts to ‘ve. What does that give us? In the first Bueno, contrataría a 'd, y tiene contratos a 've. ¿Qué nos da eso? En el primer

part, you should say: parte, deberías decir:

They'd've enjoyed it… Listen once more: They'd've enjoyed it... Lo habrían disfrutado... Escucha una vez más: Lo habrían disfrutado...

Try one more time, a little faster: They'd've Inténtalo una vez más, un poco más rápido: Habrían

enjoyed it… What about the second part of the sentence? disfrutado... ¿Y la segunda parte de la frase?

Not contracts to n't. Have contracts to ‘ve. So, you say: No contratos a n't. Tener contratos a 've. Por lo tanto, usted dice:

…but they wouldn't've stayed long. Try saying the whole sentence with the contractions: ...pero no se habrían quedado mucho tiempo. Intenta decir toda la frase con las contracciones:

They'd've enjoyed it, but they wouldn't've stayed long. Try once more, at natural speed: Lo habrían disfrutado, pero no se habrían quedado mucho tiempo. Inténtalo una vez más, a velocidad natural:

They'd've enjoyed it, but they wouldn't've stayed long. Do these contractions look weird? ||||||||||||estranho Lo habrían disfrutado, pero no se habrían quedado mucho tiempo. ¿Estas contracciones parecen raras?

If so, it's because we almost never write them.

What other contractions are like this? ¿Qué otras contracciones son así?

You can contract did to ‘d in speaking, but not in writing: Se puede contratar a 'd de palabra, pero no por escrito:

Why did you tell her? --> Why'd you tell her? ¿Por qué se lo dijiste? --> ¿Por qué se lo dijiste?

When did you get here? --> When'd you get here? ¿Cuándo llegaste? --> ¿Cuándo llegaste?

How did you like it? --> How'd you like it? ¿Qué te ha parecido? --> ¿Qué te ha parecido?

You can contract will have to ‘ll've and would have to ‘d've: Puedes contraer will have a 'll've y would have a 'd've:

They will have left by now. --> They'll've left by now. Ya se habrán ido. --> Ya se habrán ido.

We would have been late anyway. --> We'd've been late anyway. Habríamos llegado tarde de todos modos. --> Habríamos llegado tarde de todos modos.

You can contract not have after a modal verb to n't've: Se puede contraer not have después de un verbo modal a n't've:

They could not have helped. --> They couldn't've helped. No podrían haber ayudado. --> No podrían haber ayudado.

I would not have said anything. --> I wouldn't've said anything. Yo no habría dicho nada. --> No habría dicho nada.

Remember: use these contractions when you speak, but not in writing! Recuerda: utiliza estas contracciones cuando hables, pero no cuando escribas.

You can find more free English lessons on our site: Oxford Online English dot com. Puedes encontrar más lecciones de inglés gratuitas en nuestro sitio: Oxford Online English punto com.

Thanks for watching! Gracias por vernos.

See you next time! Hasta la próxima.